Valve lifter bodies are known in the art and are used in camshaft internal combustion engines. Valve lifter bodies open and close valves that regulate fuel and air intake. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,009 to Brothers, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, valve lifters are typically fabricated through machining. Col. 8, 11. 1–3. However, machining is inefficient, resulting in increased labor and decreased production.
The present invention is directed to overcoming this and other disadvantages inherent in prior-art lifter bodies.